Iraq's Muqtada al-Sadr calls on MBC to cancel television series on Muawiyah's life

Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Tuesday urged the Saudi-owned MBC group to cancel plans in broadcasting a television series based on the life of Muawiyah ibn Abu Sufyan, the founder of the Umayyad caliphate. 

The historical drama is scheduled to be broadcasted next month, during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. The cost of producing the series is estimated to be about US$75 million, according to multiple media reports. 

"I see it is better or a must that the MBC channel retreat from broadcasting a drama series on Muawiyah, who is the head of sectarianism and the pioneer in abusing the companions of the prophet, the first who disobeyed the imam in his time and splinted from the Islamic unity… and the first one who killed the companions," Sadr, who last year announced his final retirement from politics, wrote in a tweet late Tuesday.

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— مقتدى السيد محمد الصدر (@Mu_AlSadr) February 14, 2023

"Airing such a series is contrary to the new and moderate policies that the brotherly Saudi Arabia Kingdom has adopted. Thus, we draw your attention. It is not necessary to hurt the feelings of your Muslim brothers all over the world. I am advising you," Sadr added. 

Muawiyah, an early Islamic leader and founder of the Umayyad dynasty of caliphs, fought against Ali Ibn Abi Talib, prophet Muhammad's son-in-law and the fourth caliph of Islam after the passing away of the prophet.

Muawiyah seized Egypt and assumed the caliphate after Ali's assassination in 661. He restored unity to the Muslim empire and made Damascus it's capital. He reigned from 661 to 680, according to the Britannica encyclopedia. 

Egyptian journalist Khaled Salah has written the series and Palestinian-American Tarek Al-Arian has directed it. 

"Filming of Muawiya began in July 2022 and has been taking place in Hammamet and Kairouan in Tunisia. Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan is played by Syrian actor Loujain Ismail after Palestinian actor Ali Suleiman withdrew from the role. Other actors in the production include Asma Jalal, Aisha bin Ahmed, Jamila Chihi and Iyad Nassar, who has been cast as Imam Ali bin Abi Talib," according to ARAB NEWS.

MBC has yet to respond to Sadr's statement.

In May 2020, scores of supporters of Iraq's Hashd Al-Shaabi paramilitary - also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces [PMF] - stormed the Baghdad office of the Saudi-owned TV channel MBC after a broadcast which called the group's slain former leader Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, a "terrorist".

The incident was sparked by the channel's coverage of the 1981 bombing of the Iraqi embassy in Beirut, in which Al-Muhandis was implicated.

The Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC), the region's largest TV network and free-to-air broadcaster, was launched in London in 1991 by Saudi businessman Waleed al-Ibrahim.

Ibrahim was detained in November 2017 at the makeshift Ritz-Carlton jail in Riyadh. He was released after reaching an undisclosed deal with Saudi authorities.

MBC has a 50 per cent share of the Saudi broadcast market and attracts 140 million viewers daily across the region.